From the outside, it’s not immediately evident that Rose Hill Pet
Services houses cats and dogs. In front of the old farmhouse is a
covered porch and a rose garden, and the fences surrounding are
camouflaged with a privacy screen that resembles climbing ivy. The
entrance’s new logo, designed by tattoo artist Brian Barthelmes,
features a dog and a cat sitting in a bed of roses.
Owners Paula Townsend and Cat Spendlove have been hard at work putting
their own spin on the animal boarding, grooming, and daycare business,
which they purchased in 2023. The result is feminine, cozy, and uniquely
theirs, a home away from home for the staff and the animals they care
for.
Everything has been done with the animals in mind: The rooms were
painted blue because that’s a color dogs can see. The privacy screen
prevents the animals from reacting to visitors, and the new fencing
keeps them safe. Paula, Cat, and the staff have done so much work—and
they’ll continue to do more. “We’re always improving. We’re always
renovating. We’re always taking on more projects in hopes of creating a
better environment for the dogs,” Cat says. “That’s our goal: to keep
everyone happy, healthy, and safe.”
Building a Legacy
Their building has been serving animals for decades, affiliated with
three different veterinary practices in the last 30 years, the latest
being Kedron Valley Veterinary Clinic, which used the facilities here to
house its boarding, grooming, and daycare operations. Both Paula and
Cat were working for Kedron Valley (Paula at Kedron Valley Vet Clinic
and Cat at the Boarding, Grooming, and Daycare) when, in 2022, the
owners expressed interest in selling the boarding, grooming, and daycare
arm of the business and focus solely on the clinic.
Paula was intrigued; the job sounded exciting and combined her talents
and work experience. But it wasn’t a venture she wanted to tackle alone.
Cat, having only worked for Kedron Valley Boarding, Grooming, and
Daycare for a few weeks before Paula’s transition from the clinic,
expressed wholehearted interest in partnering together to build Rose
Hill Pet Services.
“Cat came with years of experience working in boarding facilities,
whereas I came with the customer service and sales and human services
background. I think between the two of us, we’re a great team,” Paula
says. It was a smooth transition and, at the end of 2023, Paula and Cat
purchased the business and renamed it Rose Hill Pet Services.
Home Away from Home
Paula offers a tour around the building, starting with the grooming
studio, which features a massive tub that raises and lowers and has a
slide-out door for the animals to climb into and out of. Baths and trims
are all done by hand, one by one. Animals are never left alone. “What
makes grooming services here a little different is that we have one
groomer, Erin [Daley],” Paula says. “She is amazing. The dogs love her,
and she gets to really develop a relationship with them.”
Historically, the top floor had been reserved for human tenants, but
Paula and Cat have renovated the apartment portion of the farmhouse
building equipped with four private rooms into luxury boarding suites
for animals, with newly painted walls, waterproof plank flooring, and
secure window coverings.
Outside are new fences, allowing staff to bring dogs from the kennel to
the house knowing they are secure, in control, and within the perimeter
at all times. Paula says they’ve done a lot of the work themselves and
some with help from their significant others who specialize in building
trades. “We want to be here for the long haul, so we are saving our
pennies for additional renovations,” she says. Plus, she believes it’s
more fun that way. “There’s always something new to learn and it’s so
gratifying to stand back and say ‘we did this.’ I love that I’m not
sitting at a desk doing the exact same thing all day every day,” she
says.
A Labor of Love
Cat and Paula have always loved animals, so naturally, that’s one of the
draws to working here. “Nobody comes to work here and doesn’t feel
loved,” Paula says. For Cat, the decision to make a career out of caring
for animals was very intentional. She says her dog Remy, a beagle, was
an enormous comfort during her transition back into civilian life after
her military service ended in 2016.
“My dog showed me unconditional love when I really needed it,” Cat says.
“I was super grateful for the relationship I had with him. I wanted to
give him the best life.” Cat has since worked in kennels, rescues, and
animal hospitals around the country, from Washington to Colorado to
Connecticut. “At this point, I’ve worked at so many different daycare
centers and seen so many different styles,” she says. “I wanted to mesh
all the positives into one, and that’s what Rose Hill really is.”
There were things she and Paula felt very strongly about incorporating
into the business, like continuing to serve the needs of both the
boarding and daycare communities, dog evaluations before being accepted
into the daycare programs, and high levels of supervision. Their
facilities are small, which is also their preference. “We have only 11
kennel spaces,” Paula says. “We also have four isolated play yards, so
we can tailor our groups. We can also keep the dogs solo if needed. We
have a rule that dogs don’t need to get along with other dogs to board
here. They just need to get along with people.”
Running the business is, of course, arduous, but also a labor of love.
“It’s my passion, which is why I think it works so well,” Cat says. “It
feels like I get to play with everyone’s dogs all day.”
Rose Hill Pet Services
560 West Woodstock Road
Woodstock, VT
(802) 457-7498
rosehillpetservices.com
